Jul 30, 2010

It all started so innocently as window shopping... but before I knew it I had walked out of that store with ten scarves of each color available! You might think I love scarves right?! Wrong! I hardly wear scarf.

"Then why I bought so many?"
"Oh! to give away as gifts?"
"For whom?"
"For friends/family in India"
"Is it cold where they live?"
"No! Even in the coldest winter, they could get around in their regular clothes..."
"So what is the rationale for buying so many?"
"Oh! It was on sale... you know I actaully saved!"
"How so?"
"It used to be $19.99 but now it was on sale for $6.99!!"
"Oh yeah?!"
"...Yeah"

After this heavy "soul searching" between me and myself, as I drive back home I would console myself with, "No worries, you can always return it..." Only to find out days later I have lost the receipt and now they would only give me store credit and that too not for the price I'd paid for - but the lowest sale price in the past 15 days... As it turns out, after I'd walked away with those "rags", it was further marked down to $3.99 a piece!! I'd paid $69.99 for the ten, but now get only $39.99 in store credit... :(

"What do I do now?"
"Oh! I'll buy those nice handbags by the second aisle.."
"How many?"
"All 5"
"Why?"
"They'll make good gifts for India..."
"Don't they get handbags in India?"
"Of course they do but it won't be the same from America..."

There it goes again.... the "invisible trap" of sale and save... For all that matters, as you start packing you are bombarded with questions from the Man of the House:

"Who is this for?"
"Oh! For that Aunty - remember she did my hair-do during our wedding?"
"And this one?"
"That's for that Uncle who bought my college application form and mailed it to us"
"Oh! Ok" Now pointing at my dreaded handbags...
"What are these?"
"Hhh... hh.. handbags"
"Why so many?"
"Oh! It was on sale, may be you can take some for your cousins/Aunts too..."
"I don't think they will use it, ok pack them all in, let's check the weight"

After heavy pushing and pulling the suitcase is zipped up and locked, it is put on the scale:"What is it?"
"Oh my! it is 70 lbs!! "
"The allowed limit?"
"50 lbs!"
"What will you do now?"
"Of course return to the stores..."
"Do you have the receipt this time?"
"I think so, if not they will give me store credit anyway..." :)

For those who care for the comments from those who receive the gifts:

"Next time you come, get me a handbag with many pockets okay?"
"Ok, if you don't like this one, it's okay I can give it to someone else"
"No, no I really like it... I am just saying next time bring me one with many pockets okay?"
"Ok"

Another:
"I love it! Thank you!"

Yet Another:
"Do you have a scarf you can give me? I can use one during my bus ride..."
"Oh! I am so sorry, I don't have one... I will get you one next time ok?"
"Ok"

As much as I enjoy shopping I am already dreading my next shopping frenzy...

11
comments:

Here is how the conversation went once with a relative (when we visited India):

"Here is this xxxx we brought for you as a gift".

"What a waste? Plenty of this xxxx is now avaialble in India. You think India is still backward? This is what you guys coming from America think. We are are also equal to Americans. Soon one rupee will equal 50 U.S. Dollars."

"Ok Ok. I will ask Bill Gates to apply for a Green Card with the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC. I will also ask him to apply for a job with Narayana Murthy. Happy now?"